It is the goal of this proposed research effort to develop a lightweight, battery-operated, fully portable, high resolution electronic vision substitution system. We have previously used both mechanical and electrocutaneous prototype television systems designed by the principal investigator. Our psychophysical evaluation team has demonstrated the feasibility of these systems for mobility applications and finds blind observers able to make visual discriminations and to identify various objects including faces with the apparatus. Our investigations indicate that higher tactile resolution can be practically utilized. The main thrust of the proposed project will be to carry this preliminary work to completion by developing a high resolution, reliable, economical, portable electronic seeing aid. The image projector must display high resolution, low weight, cost and power consumption; flexibility for maintaining contact with the skin of the trunk, and must be adaptable as wearing apparel. The proposed system will utilize one of our existing small, lightweight monolithic television cameras as an optical sensor mounted on the frame of a pair of glasses. An integrated circuit commutator will feed the processed video output of the miniature camera to the skin of the trunk of the wearer by means of a flexibly conforming electrical or lightweight mechanical stimulator array to project 32-line or greater resolution television images onto the skin. Our experiments in pattern perception through both mechanical and electrocutaneous stimulation have suggested that a lighweight, battery-operated, fully portable, vision substitution system is technological and economically feasible. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Collins, C.C. and J.M. Madey. Tactile sensory replacement. Proc. San Diego Biomedical Symposium. Vol. 13, 1974, pp 15-26. Bach-y-Rita, P., L. A. Scadden and C.C. Collins. Tactile television system, SRS Final Report, Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences, March 1975.